This title is a little misleading since databases are now also dealt with in Year two. Databases form a significant strand through the scheme of work and the knowledge, skills and understanding the children will acquire from this unit will be built upon in years four and five. It is important, therefore, that sufficient time is spent to ensure a secure grounding.
| Key objective | Can enter data into a database and use it to answer straightforward questions and produce bar charts. | QCA Website |
| General discussion | Consider the impact of databases on our lives. Data is held
about us by numerous organisations; data about:
Consider why such organisations choose to hold such data on computers as opposed to on paper based systems. Consider also the need for confidentiality and data protection. |
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| Activity 1 Working with a paper database |
Distribute "Invertebrates" cards. Define terms: record; field;
database. Manually sort the records, search through the records and compile bar charts. |
Paper version (MS Word) |
| Activity 2 Working with an electronic database |
Download the file "Invertebrates.IW2" and open it (this will only
work if Information Workshop 2000 is installed on the computer) Use the sort, search and chart tools to replicate activity 1 on the computer. Discuss the benefits the computer brings to such tasks. |
Invertebrates.IW2 A pre-prepared database file about minibeasts
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| Activity 3 Compiling a class database |
It is not expected that children at Key Stage Two should
construct databases. Start a new file from Information Workshop 2000 and
choose fields for a database about the children in your class. Once this has been done, consider how to arrange the children so that they can enter the data. It may be an idea to compile only one database and then copy the completed file. Ask questions which will require the children to interrogate the completed database by applying the skills of sorting, searching and producing charts. |